1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a free-flowing salt substitute granule, and method of using and producing the same, and more particularly to a salt substitute granule prepared from a nonsweet carbohydrate and sodium chloride. A particularly preferred aspect of the invention employs sugar and a sweetness inhibitor to prepare a bulking agent used to make a salt substitute granule simulating natural salt.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of salt as a taste and flavor enhancing agent is well known. In food processing, the preservative and organoleptic qualities of salt are well established, and it is fully recognized that salt, even when used in excess, is attractive to the consumer. The total daily intake of salt in North America is estimated to be in the range of 10 to 12 grams of salt. Highly salted snack foods account for a significant consumption of salt, which consumption has increased markedly in many parts of the world.
While table salt which contains sodium and chloride ions is normally not retained in the body even when there is excess indulgence, table salt use has been attributed to hypertension which affects more than 20% of the world population. Even though a definitive correlation between salt intake and hypertension has not been fully determined, the medical community remains concerned over the extent of salt intake abuse and advocate salt intake reduction. As a result, the consuming public has become fully aware of the pressures being put on them to curtail salt use.
This curtailment has led to the development of a number of salt substitute compositions which are available containing various replacements, such as potassium chloride with and without added sodium chloride. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,556,566; 4,556,567; and 4,556,568 teach compositions containing potassium chloride as a salt substitute wherein the potassium chloride comprises the core of the particle which is then coated with a maltodextrin ('567), a coating mixture of maltodextrin and sodium chloride ('566), and a coating mixture of maltodextrin, sodium chloride and cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) ('568). Such potassium salt substitutes however, have been found to be unacceptable since they exhibit a bitter organoleptic taste when used and thus have not been fully effective at replacing sodium chloride.
The use of sweet and nonsweet carbohydrate bulking agents in the preparation of savory flavored products that may contain optimal additions including salt products is disclosed in two copending applications of the present assignee. These applications are U.S. Ser. No. 222,479 filed on July 21, 1988 and entitled "Savory Flavored Nonsweet Compositions Using Sweet Carbohydrate Bulking Agent" and U.S. Ser. No. 222,599 filed on July 21, 1988 and entitled "Savory Flavored Nonsweet Compositions Using Nonsweet Carbohydrate Bulking Agent". The inventions described in the applications relate to savory flavored products and not to salt substitute granules which are designed to replace pure natural table salt.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a sodium chloride product which permits a consumer to reduce their salt intake without changing the manner of applying salt and which has granules which taste as salty as table salt yet, contain less sodium content. Such a product should not change the organoleptic properties expected from salt, nor its manner of use, such as shaking, dipping or licking and so forth.